X-Message-Number: 27986
From:
Subject: Re: British Columbia Anti-Cryonics Law Update
Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 02:19:23 US/Eastern
Yesterday I spoke on the phone with Tom R. Aquiline,
who is Chairman of the
Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA)
of British Columbia
Cemetery, Interment & Funeral Services Advisory Group
(he affectionately refers to the BPCPA as "the Authority").
I was attempting to follow up on the matter which I
discussed in CryoNet Message 27945
http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/dsp.cgi?msg=27945
namely a letter to go into the newsletter of the
Funeral Services Association of BC to inform
the Funeral Directors that the laws of British
Columbia, and the anti-cryonics law in particular
http://www.legis.gov.bc.ca/37th5th/1st_read/gov03-1.htm#section014
do not prohibit a funeral director from assisting
in preparation and shipment of a cryonics patient to a
cryonics organization outside of British Columbia.
Janet Ricciutti, Executive Director of the Funeral Services
Association of BC had said that the letter should come
from Tayt Winnitoy, BPCPA Director of Operations, but
when I phoned Tayt Winnitoy he told me that the letter
should come from the Cemetery, Interment & Funeral Services
Advisory Group. Tom Acquiline as Chairman of the Advisory
Group told me that the Advisory Group does not write
letters, but that it could make recommendations to
someone in "the Authority" (BPCPA) to write such a letter.
The next meeting of the Cemetery, Interment & Funeral Services
Advisory Group will be held July 6th at an undisclosed
location. These meetings are not open to the public. For
the first time ever, cryonics is on the agenda.
I hope that the focus of their discussion will be to assure that
BC funeral directors are informed through their newsletter
that they can participate in cryonics cases with impunity.
However, I did raise the issue of changing the law. He
suggested that if there was sufficient interest, at some
future time the Advisory Group might consider inviting some
cryonics authorities and scientists to attend their meeting
to present evidence about why the law should be repealed.
I am not in a position to volunteer the time or participation
of pro-cryonics scientists or "authorities", except me, and
it would take planning for me to arrange such a thing even
for myself.
For now I think the focus should be on requesting that the members
of the BPCPA Cemetery, Interment & Funeral Services Advisory
Group direct that an authoritative letter be sent to Funeral Directors
of British Columbia through the Funeral Services Association of BC
newsletter assuring them of their legal immunity for participation
in a cryonics case. If the cryonics community is seen to be
harassing the members of the Advisory Group, our efforts would
be counter-productive. But on the other hand, only the recent
letter-writing has led to the Advisory Group even considering
the question of cryonics at one of their meetings.
Below is a PDF webpage which lists all of the members of the
Advisory Group. I have listed the members below the
PDF link and have given at least some contact information
for each of the members.
Letters from citizens of British Columbia which contain information
identifying where they live in BC are especially helpful, but I
think that all letters would be of value to get members of the
Advisory Group to think that cryonics is a serious matter deserving
some serious attention. We do want that attention to be positive
and constructive, so letter-writers should keep that in mind. Again,
it would be best if the letters continue to flow at least up to
the date of the July 6th meeting, so that it will be on their
minds when they meet rather than be something which they have
not heard about or thought about for the last month. A really
diligent person might write each of the Advisory Group Members
on a weekly basis until July.
-- Ben Best
Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA)
of British COlumbia Cemetery, Interment & Funeral Services
Advisory Group:
http://www.bpcpa.ca/Docs/CIFSA_advisory_group.pdf
(1) Kay Johnson, Director, Griefworks BC
4500 Oak St. Rm E405
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6H 3N1
E-mail:
BC Toll free number 1-877-234-3322
http://www.griefworksbc.com/
(2) Jason W. Everden, General Manager, Everden Rust Funeral Services
& Cematorium
http://www.everdenrust.com/
(3) Janet E. Ricciutti, Executive Director, Funeral Services
Association of BC
Suite 211
2187 Oak Bay Ave.
Victoria, BC.
Canada V8R 1G1
Telephone: (250) 592-3213
Toll Free (in Canada): (800) 665-3899
Fax: (250) 592-4362
E-mail: [info(at)bcfunerals.com]
http://www.bcfunerals.com/
(4) Lawrence G. Little, Owner, Personal Alternatives Funeral
Services Limited
http://www.personalalternative.com/index.php?pageId=10
(5) John M. Chasca, President of BC Independent Family Funeral
Home Association
and Owner of McPherson's Funeral Home
McPherson Funeral Services, John M. Chasca
2200 - 2nd Street South, Cranbrook, BC, V1C 1E1
Telephone : 250-426-3132
Email :
(6) Stephen C. Olson, Secretary Treasurer, Cemetery & Cremation
Association of BC
http://www.ccabc.org/
Cemetery and Crematorium Association of British Columbia
211 - 2187 Oak Bay Avenue
Victoria, BC V8R 1G1
Email:
Phone: 1-800-665-3899
(7) Ellen Leslie, Executive Director, Memorial Society of British Columbia
#212 -- 1847 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6J 1Y6
E-mail:
Tel (604) 733-7705
FAX (604) 733-7730
Toll Free (Canada) 1-888-816-5902
http://www.memorialsocietybc.org/
(8) Tom R. Aquiline, Deputy Director, Industry Relations, BPCPA
Telephone: (604) 296-2855
E-mail: [tom.aquiline(at)bcpcpa.ca]
(Not a Member, but sometimes attending) Tayt Winnitoy, BPCPA Director of
Operations
P. O. Box 9244
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8W 9J2
Telephone: (604) 320-1667 (9 for directory then 8298 for TAYT)
Fax: (250) 920-7181
Toll Free (in Canada): (888) 564-9963
E-mail: [tayt.winnitoy(at)bpcpa.ca]
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